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HOUSING AND GENERAL HYGIENE
Housing presents a great problem to the Asian immigrant both by reason of low
availability and high cost. Thus most of the houses available to the Asians are in
multiple occupation. Elsewhere in this Report a full account of this subject is given
and indicates that dwelling houses are of two kinds; those which can be satisfactorily
adapted for multiple occupation, and those that cannot. Unfortunately the houses in
Southall occupied by immigrants largely fall into the latter category.
Broadly speaking, general hygienic standards in the area are satisfactory.
There are of course some exceptions to this but it must be remembered that extremes
may be found in all areas. From time to time there are complaints about the dumping of
rubbish in back gardens and in rear alleys. These are always investigated and rubbish
removed by the Borough Surveyor, in accordance with an arrangement between the two
departments. Infestations of mice in houses in the area occupied by Asian immigrants
are fairly common, and it is thought that this may be due to the habit of storing flour
and other cereals in bulk and to the failure of the occupiers to lodge early complaints
in the proper quarter.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE
It is fair to say that the problems of infectious disease presented by Asian
immigrants are somewhat exaggerated in the publ ic mind. Certain diseases, however,
are a cause of concern to the health department and these are dealt with below.
Smallpox
Owing to the speed of international travel, it is possible for a person to be in
contact with a case of smallpox on one day and to arrive in the Borough of Ealing on
the next. There is a requirement that immigrants from countries where smallpox is
endemic shall bring with them evidence of recent vaccination. Some of the
vaccination certificates, however, are suspect as it is known that there is a trade in
certificates given without the person undergoing vaccination. A small number of
immigrants arrive in this country without a valid vaccination certificate and these are
vaccinated at the port of entry and notified to the local authority of the area to which
they are proceeding. There they are kept under surveillance until such time as there
is no danger of the disease developing. During the period from the 1st April, 1965
to the present time there has been no confirmed case of smallpox in the Borough. The
major factor in preventing an outbreak of smallpox arising from an imported case will
always be a high vaccination state in the indigenous population of this country.
Typhoid Fever
Outbreaks of typhoid fever are generally traced back to carriers who although
in normal health are capable in infecting others. Immigrants are intrinsically no more
prone to be carriers than the indigenous population, but because they have had
greater opportunity to have been in contact with the disease there is a higher
proportion of carriers amongst them. All known carriers are kept under surveillance
and are prevented from being employed in the food trade or water undertakings, this
being the way extensive spread can occur.
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